1967 Mustang - Rare Find

How Konnor Found His Mustang

Jerry Heasley

May 29, 2012

Imagine being 11 years old and finding a '67 big-block fastback that has been sitting in a garage for over 30 years. And best of all, the lady wanted to sell her late husband's Mustang. That's what happened to Konnor Splichal of Hayes, Kansas. The youngster was proactive in his pursuit of a '65-'70 fastback. He actually asked his father, Kevin, to take out a "want ad" when he couldn't get the '67 High Country Special he had his eyes on. Konnor comes from a Mustang family. His father owns a '67 Sports Sprint. His 16-year-old brother drives a '71 Mach 1 and his older sister gets around town in a '99 Mustang 35th anniversary convertible.

Kevin said, "Several inquiries ended up as dead ends because nothing seemed to spark Konnor's enthusiasm like the '67 HCS. We found a couple of fastbacks and they were the typical rust-buckets. "Then, last October, Kevin got a call from Harold Farrier (interestingly, "Farrier" means somebody who fits and makes horseshoes). "He said he had a '67 fastback that he was selling for a friend and that we should come look at it," Kevin said. Kevin loaded up his two boys and drove three hours to Wichita in search of Mustang gold. They met Farrier at a residence on the edge of town. He opened the garage door to a sight of pure wonderment for Kevin and his sons. Kevin described it as, "This Acapulco Blue fastback, spare tire sitting against the back of it, covered in dirt and boxes, and stuff all around it."

According to Farrier, the Mustang had been sitting in the garage since 1978. There was no visible rust and it appeared complete. The fastback had the 390 big-block, four-speed, air conditioning, and standard interior with fold-down rear seats. When Kevin told me that the only thing missing was a fog lamp, I realized the fastback could also be a factory GT. The odometer showed about 73,000 miles. I wanted to know if 11-year-old Konnor was excited. Kevin said, "Yeah, he kept asking me, 'Dad are we gonna get it? Dad, are we gonna get it?' "At first, Kevin didn't know if he could afford the $14,000 asking price. "I had to do a lot of thinking to figure out how I was going to get the funds," he says. Of course, the price was under market value. Kevin knew he could get his money back and maybe make a few dollars on the deal if he desired. But he didn't buy the car to sell. He wanted to buy it for Konnor. In the end, he came up with the cash and added the car to the family.

"Does Konnor know how lucky he is?" I asked. "I don't think it will sink in until we start driving it," Kevin answered. For now, Konnor is learning to drive a standard transmission on the farm. His father says he's getting pretty good at it. By the time Konnor reaches driving age, the Mustang should be restored. The job has already started. Kevin found a little rust in the floor pans, but nothing serious. When they returned to Wichita with a trailer to pick up the Mustang, the Splichals met the owner. She was happy that her late husband's Mustang was going to a good home. Kevin said, "Her only request was that we come back and show it to her when we get it restored."